Keep up-to-date on upcoming channel launches and other important events across the two platforms of Virgin TV - week 18 update
Updated every Thursday before midday (on Cable Forum )
Latest Freeviews on Virgin Media - Coming up:
Right Now
Sorry, no freeviews channels this week...
May
All Setanta Sports channels will be free to everyone on the weekend of May 2nd - 5th.
=================== Coming up on Virgin TV =================================================
May
1st. Racing UK will start to show Racing from the US.
1st. Sky Movies sci-fi & horror will be adding 3 hours to its regular broadcasting hours and will now be 8am to 5am on Virgin Channel 407.
25th. British Eurosport and British Eurosport 2 may go widescreen on Virgin Media.
30th. Planet Rock may closed on Virgin Channel 924.
New look 4oD starts on Virgin Media.
By Summer
The Hits TV is to be rebranded to 4Music.
Summer
BBC Scotland is to launch BBC Gaelic on Virgin Media ( only in Scotland ).
The full launch of BBC iPlayer will appear on Virgin Media.
By July 1st
STAR hope to launch STAR One and maybe STAR Gold on Virgin Media by this date [NOTE: An deal have still to be signed so it may not happen. ]
August
An Virgin Media worker has started an rumoured that Virgin 1 HD is to launch this month.
Autumn
An 'new look' UKTV Channel starts. [ TV Boy think it will be UKTV Gold that will be rename. ]
Channels that will appear soon on Virgin Media [ Been Confirmed by the Broadcaster, BARB or by Virgin Media. ]
Nuts TV
Pop Girl
Channel 4 HD
JJB Sports TV - now testing on some NTL Boxes
Will happen before 2009
Virgin plan to remove all the Ex-ntl or Ex-Telewest channels so that Virgin Viewers can have the same lineup.
The following channels are rumoured to be coming to Virgin TV this year.
The National Geographic Channel +1*
Motors TV*
BBC TV Local Channels*
The History Channel +1*
Playhouse Disney +
True Movies 2
AnimeCentral
Cartoonito
TCM2
ESPN Classic
Bubble Hits
Al Jazeera English
ARY QTV and The Musik
* = Maybe coming to Ex-Telewest due to Ex-ntl viewers having them right now.
Other news
NBC Universal-backed kids' broadcaster KidsCo is rumoured to be in discussions with Virgin Media looking to launch a linear TV channel on their platform.
Liberty Global (Zone Horror owners) 'would consider' buying Virgin Media's television channels, it has said.
VMTV is rumoured to be going widescreen.
ITV are rumoured to be in talks with Virgin Media over they ITV1 HD Channel coming to Virgin TV soon [ We may get ITV on Demand, ITV2 +1 and ITV3 +1 as part of the deal ].
Five are rumoured to be in talks with Virgin Media over they Five on Demand coming to Virgin TV soon [ We may get Fiver +1 and Five US +1 as part of the deal ].
NASN is to be rebranded in 2008.
Virgin are rumoured to be in talks with Sky over their Basic channels coming back.
Motors TV are says to be 'currently finalizing the renegotiation of they contract' with Virgin Media
No news in months: Film 24 and Chello Zone are both rumoured to be in talks with Virgin.
The list of Channels THAT Virgin Media have worked on this week
Channels renamed/Move EPG:
Five Life has been renamed to Fiver on Virgin Channel 186.
The soft launch of BBC iPlayer (Press red on any BBC Channel)
New Channels added:
No news this week...
Channels removed from Virgin TV
No news this week...
New channels that are now testing on some Virgin Media boxes.
JJB Sports TV ( Ex-ntl only )
Virgin Media have still to move the following Ex-Telewest channels to match with EPG in Ex-ntl: areas.
TBA
Television X moves from 473 to On Demand
Playboy TV Nightly moves from 475 to On Demand
The Adult Channel Nightly moves from 477 to On Demand
Spice Extreme Nightly moves from 478 to On Demand
Red Hot TV moves from 480 to On Demand
Xplicit XXX Nightly moves from 484 to On Demand
Gay TV Nightly moves from 485 to On Demand
Virgin still have to sign deals for the following ex-NTL channels to appear on the ex-Telewest Network
EPG Channel Name
231. The National Geographic Channel +1
235. The History Channel +1
545. Motors TV
811. Zee Music
812. Alpha ETC Punjabi
833. Phoenix CNE
861. BBC One England
862. BBC One Scotland
863. BBC One Northern Ireland
864. BBC One Wales
865. BBC Two England
928. Radio: Magic
929. Radio: Q
930. Radio: BBC Radio Scotland
931. Radio: BBC Radio Wales
932. Radio: BBC Radio Ulster
934. Radio: BBC Radio nan Gaidheal
936. Radio: BBC Radio Cymru
962. Radio: The Hits
963. Radio: Kiss 100
964. Radio: Kerrang!
966. Radio: Smash Hits!
NOTE: EMap Radio channels: ( Magic, Q, The Hits, Kiss 100, Kerrang!, Smash Hits! ) have all been sold to H Bauer.
Virgin still have to sign deals for the following ex-Telewest channels to appear on the ex-NTL Network
EPG Channel Name
830. Deutsche Welle TV
911. Radio: BBC Radio 4 LW
917. Radio: RTE Radio 1
920. Radio: WRN Europe
971. Radio: Deutsche Welle Radio
TV Boy Thinks: Virgin will keep Bauer Radio Channels, BBC TV and Radio Channels, Nat Geo +1, Motors TV, History channel +1 and ZEE channels and drop the rest.
I know that some radio channels are on Ex-Telewest in some parts of the UK and they will stay but will need to move all the BBC Radio channels that are only on NTL to new channels numbers so that all the Virgin Networks [ Ex-ntl and Ex-Telewest ] viewers can have them.
NON Virgin Media news:
Digital UK Latest
November 2008
6th-20th. The Selkirk transmitter and its 11 relays, serving Scottish Borders starts switchover on
6 November 2008 and the process will be complete on
20 November 2008.
April and June 2009
The Caldbeck transmitter and its 38 relays, serving Cumbria and South West Scotland switches between
April and June 2009.
The Douglas transmitter area and its 9 relays, serving the Isle of Man switches between
April and June 2009.
The Kendal transmitter area and its 8 relays, serving the south lakes switches between
April and June 2009.
WHY DO WE NEED TO SWITCHOVER?
Switchover is a complicated process, and needs to be done in stages so that everyone in the country will be ready for it.
The best way to check which TV region you are in is by seeing which ITV news service you receive or by going to Teletext page 106.
Region Switchover happens in
2008/2009 - Border
2009 - West Country, Granada
2009/2010 - Wales
2010/2011 - West, STV North, STV Central
2011 - Central, Yorkshire, Anglia
2012 - Meridian, London, Tyne Tees, Ulster
*The Channel Islands will be switching over to fully digital TV and this is currently scheduled for the first quarter of 2013. The actual dates for switchover in the Channel Islands are subject to negotiations with France.
Don’t worry; you'll get plenty of notice before services in your area are affected, and advice on what to do.
More info here:
http://www.digitaluk.co.uk/when
Info from DigitalUK.
And now for me to say thanks to the following regular Virgin contributors of this thread who give me some of my Information.
They are:- harmitage, grabbi, JG3870, Jasmeet, buba3d, sakiblateef and Bob.